1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new electrical device, hereinafter called "quadrant driver", for use to rotate and thus acuate a microwave switch.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Microwave switches have been in use for some decades in the telecommunication industry. Their purpose is to direct microwave signals from one initial input/output configuration into a final input/output configuration. Switching from one configuration to the other and vice versa is achieved by driving a rotor forming part of the switch from one position to another position at 90.degree. from the first one and vice versa.
In an electrically driven microwave switch, the movement of the switching rotor is traditionally obtained by the use of an external DC or stepper motor. Standard bearing and groove Geneva linkage is often used to couple the motor to the switching rotor. The advantage of the Geneva linkage is that it eliminates unwanted bounces of the switching rotor at the end of each rotation.
The external DC or stepper motors and associated mechanisms that are presently being used to drive the rotors of microwave switches are quite efficient. However, they are big in size and require maintenance.